Challenge
The UK's high street stores have been struggling and Visa wanted to launch a campaign which sent “A Christmas message from the High Street” asking shoppers to keep their shopping local when buying gifts this festive season and support our high street heroes.
Insight
Visa wanted to shine a spotlight on nine real shopkeepers - including a butcher, a baker, a bookseller and a florist - who are the heroes of Britain's high streets. What better way to do this, than use the ITV weather platform, with its much-loved presenters, and reaching millions of engaged viewers every day.
Idea
The idea was to have VTs which feature ITV weather presenters highlighting what's happening in high streets that week across the country, from a Christmas light switch on, to big shopping events. This is the first time that ITV has utilised the weather in a commercial partnership other than sponsorship.
In these VT's we see various shopkeepers sing their version of Mariah Carey’s Christmas hit All I Want For Christmas Is You, and this way their voices are heard, whilst encouraging people to support them.
Implementation
We saw a bespoke ITV Proudly Presents voiceover introduce the ad in a newly created slot between the weather, just before Emmerdale at 7pm.
The 'All They Want for Christmas is You', Visa ad is set to run directly after new films, and the spot will run for five weeks and be broadcast every Friday week ahead of Visa's new campaign ad.
Results
Coming soon...
Our Christmas campaign is all about celebrating the independent retailers that make our high streets special. It’s great to see the regional weather presenters supporting our campaign, as part of this novel partnership with ITV, as they join us in encouraging viewers to support their local high street come rain or shine.Suzy Brown, Head of Marketing UK & Ireland, Visa
We’re so proud to be partnering once again with ITV and this time Visa to create yet another advertising first, producing and broadcasting 13 bespoke regional adverts simultaneously, twice a week for 4 weeks in the lead up to Christmas. Supporting the High Street with such an ambitious and unique campaign is a great privilege and we’re sure it will resonate with viewers and shoppers across the nation.Mark Thompson, Head of Branded Content, ITN
